NEW YORK, NY — July 17, 2026 — As dangerous smoke from Canadian wildfires blankets cities across the United States, New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani are telling residents to protect their lungs with Chinese-made KN95 masks. At the same time, they are ignoring proven, American-made, NIOSH-approved N95 respirators produced in New York and across the country.
American Medical Manufacturers Association Executive Director Eric Axel put it plainly, saying, “By choosing KN95s, Governor Hochul and Mayor Mamdani are telling people to line up for Chinese masks, bought with American taxpayer funds, during a dangerous smoke emergency.
They have a chance to support good-paying jobs in New York City and State. Instead, they are bypassing in-state and other U.S. manufacturers who can supply NIOSH-approved N95 respirators. That is bad public health policy, bad economic policy, and bad for our national security.”
Wildfire smoke is not a nuisance, and its presence is becoming all-too-common on the eastern seaboard and beyond. Health authorities warn that fine particles in wildfire smoke penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream and can trigger or worsen respiratory and cardiovascular disease. In this kind of emergency, New Yorkers deserve the highest level of protection, not a second-tier import.
Yet New York City is advertising “free KN95 masks” at distribution sites citywide. KN95 is a Chinese regulatory standard. These masks are never made in the United States. They are certified by the Chinese government, not by NIOSH, and are designed for general consumer use, not high-risk environments.
“This is outrageous,” said Tom Allen, President of the American Medical Manufacturers Association (AMMA) and CEO of New York-based Altor Safety, which manufactures respirators and PPE.
Allen added, “New Yorkers are breathing wildfire smoke, and their leaders are handing out Chinese masks while U.S. manufacturers stand ready with NIOSH-approved N95 respirators. That is a slap in the face to local and US-based manufacturers and a reckless choice for public health.”
N95 respirators are the gold standard of respiratory protection in the United States. They are NIOSH-approved, built to strict federal workplace safety requirements, and subject to aggressive testing, random audits, and immediate enforcement if quality slips. KN95s, by contrast, are governed by China’s standard and rely heavily on manufacturer self-certification.
The choice of Chinese masks is linked to China’s human rights abuses and forced labor, raising ethical concerns that should matter to all Americans committed to justice.
The U.S. government has launched sweeping Section 301 investigations and proposed broad forced-labor tariffs targeting economies that facilitate the movement of Chinese goods produced with forced labor into global markets. In that context, using American taxpayer dollars to buy Chinese-certified PPE is not just short-sighted. It is indefensible.
“Even in emergencies, public dollars should not underwrite supply chains tied to human rights and forced labor concerns,” Allen said. “They should support American workers and American standards. Right now, New York is doing the opposite.”
Meanwhile, U.S. manufacturers have already built the capacity that policymakers begged for during the pandemic. AMMA member companies can produce about 435 million N95 respirators per year today, which is roughly 97 percent of the estimated 450 million routine annual demand. They can surge to as many as 1.5 billion N95s per year in an emergency.
AMMA suppliers also manufacture reusable respirators with replaceable cartridges, giving Americans multiple high-quality options for respiratory protection.
New York is not just any public buyer. It is home to AMMA members who invested heavily to protect this state and this country. Altor Safety, HPK Industries, and New York Embroidery Studio / NY Protect manufacture NIOSH-approved respirators and PPE in New York, creating local jobs and maintaining surge capacity.
“First and foremost, New Yorkers should stay safe and wear a properly fitting respirator if they have to be outside in the smoke,” said Michelle Feinberg, CEO of New York Embroidery Studio. “I am glad the City is making masks available. But New York should be prioritizing domestically manufactured, NIOSH-approved N95 respirators whenever they are available. That is what real leadership looks like.”
New York entrepreneur Tom Allen of Altor Safety warned that this moment exposes a deeper problem. “We cannot afford complacency, or leaders who fall back on the cheapest overseas option to prepare for a crisis. We built and support the domestic industry, so New York would not have to beg China for masks ever again. That capacity exists right now. There is no excuse for their failure.”
Today, AMMA is calling on Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams to:
- Stop relying on Chinese KN95s immediately and prioritize domestically manufactured, NIOSH-approved N95 respirators for all public distributions.
- Follow the actions of the Federal Government, including both the Biden and Trump administrations, and bipartisan Congressional support, to fill regional stockpiles built on American-made PPE, in line with the Made PPE in America Act.
AMMA Executive Director Axel concluded, “Today is a watershed moment for New York. They have chosen dependence on hostile foreign supply chains over supporting local businesses. We urge them to change their course for our safety and security.”
Posted: July 19, 2026
Source: The American Medical Manufacturers Association (AMMA)
